Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~6350
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for
securing sheets of paper or the like to form sets and sets pro-
duced thereby.
In particular,the method and apparatus is applicable
to the production of multiple and/or continuous sets cons~king of
a plurality of sheets detachably glued to one another.
Multiple sets, especially continuous sets having two or
more sheets or lengths, possibly wi~ interleaved carbon papers, are ;~
normally fastened together to ensure that the said sheets or lengths
.:
hold together satisfactorily during processing. This is highly
~ important when continuous sets are processed in computers.
-1, The attachment may take various forms, for example, wire
fastening (stapling)j "crimp-lock" fastening (paper serrating),
4.r~le ~rk
~ B multiflex fastening (with paper loops), Emerex~fastening (with
t~ 1~ resilient threads), "Fanlock~l fastening ~loop stamping) and, -
` finally, line-gluing from length to length - which requires a
plurality of gluing units depending upon the number of sheets in
each set.
However, these known set-fastening methods do not always
provide ~n adequate hold, and many of them are highly complex and
have their disadvantages.
The most serious disadvantage is associated with
stapling, since the staples break and may cause serious computer
breakdowns.
Crimp-lock fastening meets the holding requirements only -
to a limited extent, and even less in the case of thick sets.
~~ The disadvantage of Emerex fastening is the projecting
resilient threads which make the processing unreliable. Fan-lock
fastening is also scarcely adequate in the case of thick sets.
One particular danger associated with line-gluing of individual
sheets or lengths is that so-called humps occur in the folds and
these prevent a smooth run through the computer. `
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1~863SO
Still another disadvantage of the prior art is that
in many cases fastening the sets requires the use of extremely
complex and costly specialized machines.
It is the purpose of the invention to provide a multiple,
more particularly, a continuous set which ensures effective de-
tachable fastening together of glued individual sheets or lengths
by means of a single gluing unit, and by means of which the said
fastening, i.e., gluing, of individual sheets or lengths may be
achieved by means of a device which can be attached to any con-
vention "collator".
According to the invention, this purpose is achieved inthat the sheets or lengths, preferably with the exception of the
last and first, or cover, sheets, are provided, at least along
one lateral edge, with recesses and are joined together, through ;
these recesses, by means of a coating of glue.
In contrast to existing glued attachments, in which the
edge of each length had to be provided with a continuous or inter-
mittent line of glue, the arrangement according to the invention
allows the sheets or lengths of a multiple set to be glued quite
simply, and with a single gluing unit, after the lengths of paper,
and carbon paper if necessary, have been placed one above the
; o~her (assembled). The application of an adhesive in the vicinity
of the recesses in the sheets or lengths ensures an adequate glued
joint between all sheets, the said glue being preferably applied
in the form of spaced spots or strips covering the recesses in the
sheets at least in one direction. The recesses which allow all of
the sheets or lengths to be glued with a subsequent coating of
glue may be the perforated edge, or a second perforated edge
~r~ Rcmalino" perforating), in which case it is preferable for the
last and/or the first sheet to remain unperforated.
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'1~86350
It is particularly desirable for the gluing recesses to
be stamped out additionally, in which case it is highly desirable
; to provide vertical or horizontal recesses for the purpose. An
adequate hold is assured by continuous gluing of the sheets or
lengths in the vicinity of these stampings.
According to another configuration of the invention,
a particularly advantageous design of multiple or continuous set
is obtained by making the superimposed sheets or lengths of different
widths, in such a manner that, along one longitudinal edge at least,
10 the final sheet or length projects beyond the intermediate sheets ` ~-
~, . .
or lengths, while the first sheet or length is inset in relation
to the intermediate sheets. ~his stepping of the width of the -~ ;
sheets or lengths does not impair the useful area of the sheets
or lengths since it occurs in an edge area which cannot in any case
be used. On the other side, the stepped width does not affect the
collating and aligning of the individual sheets or lengths when
; the sets are being assembled, since mutual alignment is in any case
assured by the guide holes in the said sheets or lengths,
independently of any lateral stop for the edges.
The stepping of the widths of individual sheets or lengths,
in accordance with the invention, greatly simplifies production since,
when the prefera~ly spaced lines o glue are applied, there is no
need for these to coincide with similarly spaced glue recesses.
With continuous glue recesses, as repEesented hy the different
sheet widths, the lines of glue may be located at will, as long as
the distance between them is less than half the length of an
individual set, so that there are at least two gluings along one
lateral edge, thus ensuring undistorted fastening.
It is particularly advantageous for all of the sheets to
be of different widths, so that the edges thereof are staggered in
;350
: ,,
steps and the glue lines of each of the sheets are contained in
one edge area and not only at one outer edge. This stepping of
all sheets or lengths is obviously suitable for thinner sets,
since in these the edge of sheet outside the guide holes allows
a half-millimeter to one millimeter step from one sheet to the next.
In the case of thicker sets, on the other hand, the inner
sheets or lengths will be of the same width or will be divided into
two groups of different widths. As the invention has shown,
however, it is sufficient to step the upper and lower sheet or
length in relation to the inner sheets or lengths in order to
obtain satisfactory fastening of the sheets or lengths with the
aid of spaced glue lines.
The design of the multiple, more particularly continuous
sets according to the invention makes it possible to use so-
called "hot-melt" glues which are so easy to process and which
soften under heat. As soon as they have been applied, these
glues cool down to such an extent that they harden, thus producing ~-
the desired fastening of individual sheets or lengths immediately
after they have been applied. Furthermore, they do not in any way
impair the further processing of the sheets or lengths, since
they are no longer sticky and cannot therefore produce unwanted
adhesion to parts of the processing machines, or to foils folded ~ -
one above the other or rolled.
In addition to the stepping of the edges of the sheets or
lengths described above, and according to still another configura-
tion of the invention, the gluing recesses provided at the side of
- -B a ibcsr~e-perforated guiding edge, may be staggered from length
to length, or may vary in size (by providing stamped holes of
different diameters), in such a manner that overlapping in the
form of scales is also obtained.
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1~863SO
In another configuration of the invention, glue recesses
may be omitted from any desired locations in the sheets or lengths,
in such a manner that different groups of sheets or lengths are
glued together at different glue-recess locations. -~
Such individual glue recesses may with advantage be ~ -
omitted in such a manner that, for example, there is a glued joint
between sheet 1 and sheet 2, another from sheet 1, over sheet 2,
to sheet 3, and again another over sheet 1, sheet 2 and sheet 3,
to sheet 4, and so on. This not only produces a very durable
fastening, but also an advantageously variable group division
particularly suitable for sets of forms in each of which a
plurality of sheets forms a sub-group to be proceased in some ;
special way.
This latter particularly advantageous arrangement
according to the invention may be obtained, for example, in that, -
starting from the top cover sheet, which carries regularly spaced
glue recesses, one recess is omitted, for example, in the under-
lying sheet. In the third sheet, glue recesses to the left and
right of the recess omitted from the second sheet may be omitted,
and so on down, recesses being omitted from each sheet in any
desired locations.
According to one development of the invention, recesses
may be omitted from both the cover sheet and the final sheet, only
the intermediate sheets having omissions in variable arrangements.
In gluing the set as a whole, this achieves the result described '
above in that the coating of glue is applied to the front of the
final sheet or to the back of the cover sheet.
According to still another configuration of the invention,
spaced glue recesses arranged in addition to the usual perforated
guiding edges are arranged close to the said guiding edges and
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1~86350
are staggered in relation thereto. This results in a minimal
loss of the usable width of the sheets or lengths, while still
ensuring that sufficient material remains between the guide holes
and the glue recesses to prevent tearing.
The design according to the invention is also particularly
suitable for sets comprising intermediate sheets or lengths of
carbon paper, in which case the sheets of carbon paper should be
provided with the same glue recesses as the set-sheet associated
therewith, so that it pertains in any case to the same sub-group
; 10 of sheets glued one to the other.
The sheets of carbon paper may also project partly into
the recesses in the sheets or lengths of the set and may also be
secured in the set as a whole by ao~ating of glue, in which case
there is no need for the sheets or lengths of carbon paper to have
special recesses.
For the purpose of producing the multiple, more partic-
ularly continuous sets accoraing to the invention, a rotary stamping
tool is arranged, according to the invention, on the rotary machine
used to print the sheets or lengths, the said tool having punches
and die-wheels adjustable in the operative direction and in the
direction opposite thereto. It is desirable for the punches and
the wheel-bushes also to be replaceable, so that they may be ex-
changed for smaller and larger punches and bushes and may thus
achieve the design mentioned above with stagered edges in the
individual lengths arising from glue recesses of different sizes.
The tool as a whole is displaceable both longitudinally and
transversely.
Provision may also be made for the glue recesses to be
produced, not by the printing machine during printing, but by
means of a special stamping tool after the set has been collated,
~'
-- 6 --
63SO
so that all of the sheets or lengths of paper, and all of the
sheets or lengths of carbon paper inthe set, are jointly provided
with recesses. The gluing oPeration may be continuous, in which
;?-cf/o~ ~~ m~ co~t~
case a glue-repelling,~ Tcflon-aoatedicounter-pressure roll runs
on the cover sheet or final sheet. Depending on how the individual
sheets or lengths are printed (if on the front, roll is wound
with printing on the outside; if on the back, roll is wound with -~
printing on the inside), the last sheet, the first sheet, or both
sheets may be without recesses or stampings according to the
invention. To this end, the special stamping tool on the automatic
collator is staggered by an amount equal to one collator station,
; so that in the case of a 6-fold set, for example, the stampings
extend only over sheets 1 to 5 and, according to the printing, -~
only over sheets 2 to 6. The glue is applied first of all to the
front of the final sheet and finally to the back of the cover-
sheet, Teflon-coated, glue-repelling, counterpressure rolls being
provided.
If carbon paper is used, it is difficult to make the
glue recesses therein coincide with the glue recesses in the -~
sheets above and below, since there is a danger of the ~aid re-
cesses wandering as a result of the tensile forces produced.
On the other hand, if colour-reaction paper is used, it is difficult
to achieve lasting neat and clean gluing, since none of the t~pes
of glue available adheres adequately to the micro-capsule-coated
side of the sheet.
These difficulties are overcome, according to the in-
vention, in that the sheets or lengths of carbon paper, or other
sheets or lengths not provided with perforated guiding edges, are
provided with recesses in such a manner that, as measured in the
longitudinal direction, the width of the webs b'etween the
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, , . . ~: : .,.: : .;:, . .
i~)86350
recesses is less than, or at the most equal to, the width of
the holes of the glue recesses in the sheets or lengths lying
thereabove and/or therebelow.
The design according to the invention - as in the case
of the design described above in which the sheets of carbon paper
are narrowed so that they project only partly into the glue
recesses in the sheets above and below - ensures that there is
in any case a continuous recess for the passage of ~e glue, re-
gardless of the longitudinal arrangement of the sheets of carbon
paper in relation to adjacent sheets. It is, therefore, impossible
for the webs between the glue recesses in the carbon-paper sheets
to cover completely the glue recesses in adjacent sheets as the
result of an unfavourable longitudinal displacement of the said
sheets of carbon paper.
Accord~ng to the invention, if colour-reaction paper
is used, the first sheet or length is to be of normal paper, while
~; the second sheet or length is to have a self-reacting front and
the bac~ is designed to release. Subsequent sheets are CFB
(coated front and back), i.e., the front is micro-capsule-coated
to absorb and the back is micro-capsule-coated to release. The
final sheet is CF (coated front) to absorb.
In selecting one of the intermediate sheets or lengths
as the glue carrier, so that the glue is applied to both sides
thereof, the said sheet should have an absorbing coat on the front
only, whereas the underlying sheet or length is self-reacting on
the front and is capsule-coated on the back. When colour react~n
paper is used, then in selecting an intermediate sheet as the glue
carrier, it is obvious that the first sheet must again be of
normal paper in order to avoid the back thereof being capsule-
coated, since this would prevent the glue from making a good joint.
1~8ti350
According to the invention, the device used to producethe multiple, more particularly continuous sets may contain a
pressure means ~a knurling or corrugating device), located after
the gluing station, for pressing the sheets or lengths together,
in order to ensure particularly thorough distribution of the glue.
Finally, it is also within the scope of the invention ;~
to equip the device for producing multiple sets according to the
invention with a heating and/or cooling device, preferably compris-
ing a blower, for shortening the so-called "open" period of the
10 glue. If cold glue is used, this open time (i.e. the time during ;
which there is no setting of the glue to prevent the sheets from
moving) may be substantially shortened by heating. Similarly,
if hot glue is used, this time may be shortened by cooling.
Such heating or cooling may be effected either from above or below.
Farther advantages, details and characteristics of the
invention may be gathered from the following description of one -
example of embodiment, in conjunction with the drawing attached
hereto, wherein: !
Fig. 1 is a part-view in perspective of a continuous set
according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows a small detail of another design of con-
tinuous set according to the invention;
Fig. 3 is a section along the line III~III through the edge
area of the set shown in Fig. 2;
` Fig. 4 is an expanded view of superimposed sheets with
glue recesses omitted according to the invention;
Fig. 5 shows a detail of the set according to the
invention;
Fig. 6 is a section, to an enlarged scale, along the line
3 0 VI-VI in Fig. 5;
_g
1~86350
Fig. 7 is a part-section through a modified design;
Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic section through a first design
of multiple set according to the invention; ;
Fig. 9 is a section through another example of embodiment ;
of the invention;
Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic part-view of a collator ~ `
according to the invention;
Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic part-view of a collator
according to the invention;
Fig. 12 is a part-view of a continuous set of another
design according to the invention;
Fig. 13 is a section along the line XIII-XIII in Fig. 12;
Fig. 14 is a part-view of a multiple set of an additional
design aecording to the invention;
Fig. 15 is a section along the line XV-XV in Fig. 14; and
Fig. 16 is a section along the line XVI-XVI in Fig. 15;
Continuous set 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 consists of a
plurality of individual lengths placed one above the other and
provided with perforated edges to facilitate separation into
individual sets along lines 2, and it comprises perforated guiding
edges 3 and stampings 4 which serve to unite superimposed lengths
which cannot be recognized individually. In the design illustrated,
5 is a coating of glue in the form of a strip in the vicihity of
each stamping, the glue used being preferably of the so-called
"hot-melt" type. This glue is applied in such a manner that it
passes through the recesses made by the stamping, thus ensuring
a lasting, but in spite of this easily detachable, gluing of the
; individual lengths.
In the case of the modified design, a detail of which
is shown in Fig. 2, of a multiple or continuous set according
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1~363SO
- to the invention, the width of first sheet 6 is less, and the width
of last sheet 7 is greater, than that of the intermediate sheets
jointly maxked 8. In this case, the arrangement of the lengths
or sheets is such that the increased and reduced widths produce
a stepped arrangement at least along one lateral edge, as may be
seen in Figs, 2 and 3. Strips of glue 9, applied at intervals,
can thus ensure easily detachable gluing together of individual
sheets or lengths 6 to 8. Here again, the gluing need not be
carried out until the individual lengths have been collated.
The design illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, in which the
three intermediate layers of the five-length set are all of the
same width, so that the stepping, even in the case of thick sets,
requires only the usual margin outside the guide holes, may, of
course, also be replaced by a design in which the width of each layer
differs from that of the other layers. All of the sheets are thus
stepped continuously along one or both laterial edges. This
improves the glued joint between the individual sheets or lengths.
Finally, if separate glue recesses orstampings are
provided, it would be possible to stagger these in the individual
sheets or lengths, longitudinally or transversely, in such a
manner as to produce overlapping in the form of scales. In this
case the total stagger of the glue recesses between the fir~t and
the last sheet is less than the width of a glue recess measured
in the direction of stagger.
This arrangement produces the same satisfactory glued
joint as the stepping obtained with sheets of different widths, but
in this case there is no need for the sheets to be of different
widths.
Fig. 4 shows individual sheets 11 to 16 of a multiple or
continuous set. In this case, the cover sheet 11 has glue-recesses
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363SO
4 at regular intervals, whereas in the underlying sheets, these
recesses are omitted at various locations 18. As may be gathered
from Fig. 6, this ensures that sheets 11 and 12 are joined by a
coating 5a of glue, whereas adjacent sheets 11, 12, 13 are
joined by coating 5b. Coating 5c joins sheets 11 to 14 together.
In contrast to the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4,
that in Fig. 6 also comprises sheets 21, 22, 23 of carbon paper,
but theQeiare provided with the same recesses as in sheets 11, 12
or 13.
As shown in dotted line in Fig. 5, a conventional per-
forated guiding edge may be provided with guide holes 3, the glue
recesses, spaced in the manner indicated in Fig. 5 being located
between guide holes 3 and quite close to the edge. There is thus
scarcely any reduction in the useful width of the sheets, but at
the same time guide holes 3 and glue recesses 4 are far enough apart
to prevent the material from tearing. ~-
Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic section through a set consisting
~.
of four lengths 11 to 14 in which cover sheet 11 and last sheet 14
are at least locally, but preferably entirely, without glue recesses
4. In this case glue 9 is applied te the inside of cover sheet 11
and final sheet 14, when the glue passes to the other lengths, as
shown diagrammatica~ly in the expanded representation in Fig. 7.
It is, of course, not neeessary that both cover sheet 11 and final
sheet 14 shall contain no recesses 4, as shown in Fig. 7; instead
this could apply to only one of them. Thus, if either cover sheet
11 or final sheet 14 has recesses 4, a Teflon-coated counter-
pressure roller should be associated therewith, to prevent glue
~ from emerging through the aperture and spreading, or even gluing
; parts of the machine together.
In the designs according to Figs. 4 to 7, it would,
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1~)863SO
of course, also ~e possible slightly to stagger the recesses in
the individual sheets or lengths, starting from the cover sheet
or the final sheet, or to make the said recesses of different
diameters, thus producing a stepped overlapping of the e~ges.
Fig. 8 illustrates a multiple set in which cover sheet
41 and last sheet 42 have no recesses and the glue is applied to
the undersurface of the said cover sheet. 43 and 44 are sheets of
carbon paper which, in contrast to sheets 41, 42 and 45, have no
perforated guiding edges, so that accurate alignment between glue
recesses 4 in the sheets of carbon paper and glue recesses 4'
in intermediate sheet 45, or with other intermediate sheets pro- !,
vided with perforated guiding edges, is impossible. In order to
ensure that, in spite of this, the glue applied to the undersurface
of cover sheet 41 can still pass through to final sheet 42, the
width b of the webs between recesses 4 in the sheets of carbon
paper, as measured in the longitudinal direction, is less than
the width B of glue recesses 4' also measureed in the longitudinal
direction. Thus, regardless of the longitudinal location of the
sheets of carbon paper, under no circumstances can the webs fully
cover the glue recesses in the sheets above and below, and the
glue cannot therefore be prevented ~om passing through.
Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic section through a multiple set
using colour-reaction paper, i.e., with no interleaved sheets of
carbon paper. In this design, the glue is not applied to the
bottom surface of cover sheet 51 and to the top surface of final
sheet 52, but to the top and bottom surfaces of an intermediate
sheet. Since glue adheres poorly to capsule-coated papers, cover
sheet 51 is made of normal paper, so that the glue provides a
good joint between intermediate sheet 57 and cover sheet 51 and
still passes through intermediate sheets 55 and 56. The front
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1q~863SO
of sheet 55 under cover sheet 51 has a self-reacting coating
65, while the back has a releasing micro-capsule coating. Sheets
56 and 59 are CFB paper, i.e., the front has an absorbent coating
67 and the back a releasing micro-capsule coating 66. In order
to improve the adhesion of the glue, the bottom surface of inter-
mediate sheet ~7, which acts as the glue carrier, has no micro-
capsule coating and, as a result of this, the front of following
sheet 58 must be provided with a self-reacting coating 65. Final
sheet 52 is coated only on the front with an absorbent coating 67.
Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic partial side elevation of a
collator used to assemble multiple and continuous sets, 30 being
a pick-up roller for the printed paper and 30 a pick-up roller for
carbon paper, each with suitable guides for the paper.
According to the invention, the said collator is equipped
with a stamping device 32 which perforates, directly in the collator,
all of the intermediate sheets in a multiple set. The final sheet
drawn from roller 33, and the cover sheet from roller 34 are to be
unperforated in this preferred designof set according to the
invention. It is for this reason that roller 34 for the cover
sheet is arranged after stamping device 32 and above collating
plane 35. This simple modification to a collator, in whiCh all
of the rollers are normally arranged either below or above the
collating plane, makes it possible to produce, very simply, sets -
according to the invention having unperforated final and cover
sheets and simultaneously to punch out the glue recesses by means
of a stamping device located on the said collator.
The gluing unit, not shown in Fig. 10, is arranged in
such a manner that it applies glue to the bottom surface of the
cover sheet and/or to the top surface of the final sheet, before
these sheets are assembled with the intermediate sheets perforated
~y stamping device 32.
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~6350
.
Finally, it would also come within the scope of the
invention, in the case of multiple, or more particularly,
continuous sets having sheets of different widths arranged, by
stepping, to have an edge zone producing an improved gluing effect,
to design the said sets in such a manner that the cover sheet or
length, andthe final sheet or length, project, at least along
one longitudinal edge, beyond the intermediate sheets, i.e., -
so that only the intermediate sheets are inset in relation to
the said cover sheet or length and final sheet or length.
Fig. 11 shows a design of collator which is modified as
compared with Fig. 10. In this design, cover sheet roller 34
arranged, in Fig. 10, above the collating plane, is replaced in the
arrangement shown in Fig. 11 by a guide or deflecting means
consisting of rollers 36, whereby the cover sheet material drawn
from front roller 30 is deflected to make room for a device 37,
indicated only diagrammatically, which may be a gluing and/or a
stamping device.
~ he scale-like arrangement of the glue recesses, mentioned
above, in sheets arranged one above the other, i.e., the stepped
arrangement of these recesses in the longitudinal direction of the
sheet, produces a substantial drop between the first and last
sheets, and the glue may be applied at the low point. The glue may
also be applied in the reverse order or, as shown in Figs. 12 and
13, a matching arrangement of recesses 4 may be used. In the design
illustrated in Fig. 13, recesses 4 in sheets 11 to 15 need not be
. ~ ~
of different sizes, but may even be identical, with matching
stagger, so that final sheet 16, which has no recesses, has its
coating of glue applied approximately in the middle of recess 4
in upper sheet 11. As may be gathered from Fig. 13, the height of
the steps is less than if the stepping were uniform from the top
to the bottom sheet.
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` ` 1~1~63SO
Finally, Figs. 14 to 16 illustrate a design in which
the set is divided into two parts, according to its thickness,
the recesses in the one part being staggered laterally in relation
to those in the other part, and the two parts of the set being
joined together by means of an intermediate sheet having no
recesses. Sheets 11, 12 and 14,15 which are provided with
recesses staggered in ~teps - here again recesses 4 and 4' could ;~
be of the same size, so that some of recesses 4' in sheets 12
and 15 would be covered by the sheets thereabove - are united, ~.
together with intermediate sheet 13, or in the case of the
lower set, together with final sheet 16 which has no recesses,
by means of a coating of glue 5. This design not only produces
two part-sets united independently of each other, but also effects
a decisive improvement in the application of the glue, since the :
deep steps~mentioned above no longer occur.
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